The Time Traveler
by TechnicalTragedy
Summary: Got idea from the song 'Daylight' by Maroon 5. Dave had been running for too long. A witch? Really? Dave wasn't a witch. But he still has to run. And then he finds John. JohnDave. Rated T for cursing. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

Dave had been running for too long.

He`d realized this about four villages back, but he couldn`t stop now. He couldn`t believe he`d pissed these people off so bad. It made him a bit indignant, thinking about it.

He wasn`t a _witch;_ he was just different.

He had to give them some credit, though. They sure were persistent.

He kept asking himself the same question. Why didn`t he just return to his own time?

He knew the answer to this, of course. Some shitty _actual _witch had thrown some kind of stupid magic juju crap on him, rendering his powers slightly useless. He could only stop time, instead of travelling forward and backward through it as he had done before.

It totally blew, having, like, _all _of the fun taken out of his awesome powers.

So he just kept running, knowing he was safe staying a day or so ahead of those idiots from the village he`d appeared in.

He kind of regretted having accepted that dare from John now, to go back to these days. He hoped John felt shitty about having sent him back, too, because he`d been gone a few days now.

Dave was so lost in his thoughts that he at first missed the small house, but as he ran past it he saw something in his peripheral vision, causing him to skid to a halt as panic took over.

_How the __**hell **__did those asshats catch up? I`m supposed to be __**miles **__ahead of them!_

He quickly realized that what he saw was a house, not a mob, so, curiously, but cautiously, he crept toward it.

He heard a sound, as if someone were whistling a tune. Wait, someone _was _whistling a tune!

He decided, to hell with it, and called out to them.

"Hello?"

The whistling stopped, and Dave could hear leaves crunching, as if someone was turning, moving.

Then a voice responded. "Um... hello?"

The voice sounded oddly familiar, and, despite his instincts screaming at him to keep moving, he pressed forward, out of the cover of trees, and he saw... John?

"John? What the hell are you doing here?" Dave asked, his brow furrowing, just slightly.

John stepped back, looking a little freaked out, raising his ghetto-ass broom in a defensive manner. "How do you know my name? Who are you? Why are you here? What are you wearing?"

Dave smirked, barely. "Going a bit overboard with the questions, aren`t we there, Johnny-boy? And don`t act stupid, you know me." After a few moments of John just staring at him, Dave sighs. "Fine, I`ll play along. I`m Dave Strider, Cool-Guy Extraordinaire (that`s my official title, by the way) and we`re, y'know, bros for life? I`m here because you dared me to come here, back to this time. I can time-travel, by the way. And I`m wearing some Fly Shit, brought to you by the motherfucking 90s."

John blinked at him silently. "What," he finally asked (states?), looking utterly lost. "All I caught is that you`re named Dave Strider? What sort of name is that? And that you must hold yourself in high regard. I can see why, though, you are quite attractive." John blushed after saying that. "I apologize, sometimes my mouth goes before I can stop it."

It was Dave`s turn to blink dumbly. Did... Did John just call him attractive? All of his thoughts about John came rushing back to him, and he wanted nothing more than to start macking hardcore on his buck-toothed best bro.

But he didn`t. He couldn`t. Even if this John wasn`t _his _John, the John he accidentally let into his heart, he couldn`t do... he couldn`t hurt John like that. He could never hurt him, not intentionally.

But of course his stupid teenage hormones decided that right then would be a good time to kick in.

"Well you aren`t too bad-looking yourself, John-my-man," Dave found himself saying, shooting that stupid Strider smirk at the dark-haired boy.

Dave reached forward, casually sweeping some of John`s hair off his forehead, his fingers lingering a moment or two longer than they should`ve.

John blushed a deep crimson (he does that often, Dave had noticed) and he giggled. _Actually fucking giggled. _And Dave was struck by, in Bro`s words, how _kawaii _it was.

Dave smiled, his fingers somehow snaking up into John`s hair, pushing gently against the boy`s scalp. John hummed, his eyes sliding closed, looking content.

Dave realized how weird this was. John just met him, and now he was massaging his head? What?

But Dave wouldn`t complain. As long as John was happy, Dave could find it in himself to be happy.

Somehow, things got more heated. Dave can`t remember the details, but one second he was massaging John`s head, and the next he was creating a Time Bubble, freezing time everywhere around the bubble, but not within it, and it was just he and John and crushing silence.

And then he woke up, confused and groggy.

Startlingly blue eyes met his crimson ones as they slid open, and it was then he realized what he`d done.

During his sleep, the Time Bubble had gone down, and now it was night.

John smiled at Dave, and Dave forced himself to smile back, trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach.

Dave felt soft lips press against his, and could barely keep himself from pulling away.

John was happy, and for the first time, Dave wasn`t happy about that.

So he rose from the bed, gathering his clothes and sliding into them.

He heard John`s heartbreakingly confused voice from behind him.

"Dave?"

But Dave ignored it, finishing up getting dressed.

He felt strange. Lighter. As if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

He quickly figured out what it was.

His full powers were back.

Quietly, Dave exited the room, and a few moments later heard the soft patting of footsteps.

"Wait, Dave! Please wait! Where are you going?"

Dave felt a warm touch on his bare arm, and jerked away from it, stopping, trying not to look at John. "Don`t touch me." His voice was harsh, growling.

Dave could hear the shakiness in John`s voice when next he spoke. "Dave? What... What`s wrong, Dave?"

"I can`t... I can`t fucking do this to you, John." The blonde had tried to make himself sound strong, but his voice broke halfway through the sentence.

Dave could sense the tears on John`s face. "What are you talking about? Do what to me?"

Dave`s fists clenched, and he snapped his head in the opposite direction of John. "It doesn`t matter. I just... I`m in love with you, which is why I have to leave. Now."

Without another word, Dave left.

He heard no soft footsteps behind him, no words, no sniffling or wailing.

But he did hear the door creak open quietly, knew John was watching him go.

Dave noticed the sun rising, just barely bringing light into the dense forest.

He slid his shades back on, set his jaw, and pushed his shoulders back, standing tall as he disappeared from John`s sight, off into the woods.

Dave walked until he knew John couldn`t see him anymore, and glanced around him, finally finding the slight ripple in the Fabric of Time. He pulled it open, and stared into the Tear.

He finally looked behind him, and thought that, maybe if he squinted and tilted his head this way a bit... Was that John`s house? He liked to believe it was, as he stepped into the Tear.

It was always a strange experience, traversing the Tears. It felt like he was walking underwater, or maybe through lava? It was both a bone-shaking cold and a brain-melting hot.

But he liked the feeling, having heat and chill dance across his flesh as he walked through the endless grey matter.

He finally came to his stop, and glanced back one more time, at the Tear which was now only a slight ripple again. A sigh escaped his lungs, and he forced himself through to his own time.

The Tear slid closed behind him, and Dave felt warmth seep into his body.

He pulled out his phone, texting John. It was just two words.

"im back"

Then the phone returned to his pocket, after he shut it off.

He stood in the middle of a clearing. He was in a forest yet again.

The sun had just barely risen, casting light over the woods with some difficulty.

He looked behind him. Maybe if he squinted his eyes and tilted his head that way... Perhaps that was his best friend`s house? He`d like to think it was, as he turned back around and headed out of the trees.


	2. Chapter 2

Dave has relived that day at least a million times now, it seems.

He doesn`t want to, but it always manages to creep into his thoughts, his dreams, and he can`t stand it.

He`s been locked up in his and Bro`s shared apartment for at least three days now, and Bro hasn`t come home, which is odd, but not entirely unheard of. His job as a DJ kept him occupied every night, but normally he`d come home in the early hours of the morning, check in on Dave, then go on to bed. He`d wake up at around four in the afternoon, and Dave would always have food ready for him, and he`d grunt his thanks, eating quickly, then ruffle Dave`s hair as he crept back to his bedroom until nine, when he`d go to whatever club he was working at that night. Dave would always hand him a Hot Pocket as he left, and then he`d go to bed a little later.

Dave has stayed up twice waiting for Bro, until long after the Hot Pocket in his hand turns into a Cold Pocket.

He`s worried about Bro. He`s never stayed away from home so long. To try and soothe his worries, he laughs about how Bro probably starved without him there to feed his lazy ass. It very rarely does anything to help him, though, more often causing his worry to skyrocket, imagining his brother slowly starving to death, or maybe getting his skull bashed in with a tire iron behind a seedy night club, or even- No. Stop it. He`s fine.

Dave wants to talk to someone about it, but if he talks to Jade or Rose they`ll tell John, who was apparently worried sick about him, and then John would start bothering him and he really can`t talk to John right now.

Thinking of John brings back the memories, and Dave curses in his head, trying to ignore it and keep watching these cat videos which now seem so unimportant and stupid and he just wants to tear his hair out because he`s so _frustrated._

He finally just can`t take it anymore, and has to contact Rose.

**- - turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering tentacleTherapist [TT] - -**

**TG: rose are you there**

**TG: rose come on**

**TG: rose god damn it answer**

**TG: rose please**

**TT: What do you need, Dave?**

**TG: oh so now you answer**

**TG: its fucking crisis city over here and you just get to sit over there on your high horse waiting for me to ask you nicely or whatever before you decide to actually talk to me and help me through this shit**

**TG: what kind of friend are you**

**TG: a bad one**

**TT: Dave I believe you need to calm down and simply tell me what`s happening.**

**TG: i dont really know whats happening i mean i know what happened but i have no goddamn clue whats currently happening**

**TT: Dave, why don`t you start from the beginning.**

**TT: John`s told me you`ve been missing for a little while? He`s been really worried.**

**TG: yeah well that asshole dared me to go back to fucking village times and so i did and then some stupid village folk decided to label me as a witch and tried to burn me at the stake and shit so i got the hell away from there and then apparently there was a real witch who put some crap magic on me and rendered my amazeballs powers totally worthless and so i could only freeze time**

**TG: so i ran away for like two three days and then i found this house in the woods and fucking john was there and he called me cute and i think we had sex and then i felt all guilty and shit so i got out of there and he was being all john and then i got a bit too emotional and then i left him and my powers were back so i came back to this time**

**TG: i got home and now i just cant stand to talk to john right now and ive been waiting for bro for like three four days now and he hasnt come home yet and this never happens and rose i dont know what to do anymore im really lonely and i think im having some kind of panic attack what do i do you have to tell me**

**TT: I`ll tell you what to do, Dave.**

**TT: Calm down.**

**TT: Turn your phone on.**

**TT: Call Bro, and just talk to John.**

**TG: rose i cant talk to john**

**TT: Dave.**

**TT: You are going to contact John because he is your best friend and he is worried sick about you.**

**TT: You don`t necessarily have to proclaim your undying love for him, but you need to let him know that you`re okay.**

**TG: rose i cant do this**

**TT: You will, though.**

**TT: We won`t be talking until John informs me that you have contacted him.**

**TG: rose no please**

**TT: Good luck.**

**- - tentacleTherapist [TT] blocked turntechGodhead [TG] - -**

Dave stares at his computer screen silently for a long moment.

"Damn you, Rose Lalonde," he finally sighs. "Just... Damn you."


End file.
